Someone here was a certified forklift repair tech. I've lost the
history.

I bought an old (1978) ClarkLift 2000lb machine to help moving projects
around the shop. Got it for 3K delivered, and it runs well and is dry
everywhere (!).

It has only one problem that someone else hasn't already bypassed,
removed, or re-engineered -- The dip tube in the fuel tank must
(probably) has a hole in it. It loses its prime after sitting for as
little as 10 minutes. The tube outlet block/fitting appears to be welded
to the tank, so no removing the tube to replace or repair it -- without
some fancy torch work INSIDE the body of the machine (before you say
it... NO! I won't G)

It has an electric pump installed to replace the engine-driven one, and
the electric apparently can self-prime, but not fast enough to suit the
"start-and-go" mentality. So right now, I'm throwing an ounce of fuel
into the air cleaner intake to get it started. No biggy, but I don't
want to start removing stuff until next week, after I get some big pieces
moved.

SO... Is this tank welded in? Can it be removed, cleaned, replaced? If
not, I think the strategy would be to build a box inside the bustle, and
install a new (maybe smaller) tank, with the top of the draw tube about
level with the carb.

Thanks,
Lloyd

"Lloyd E. Sponenburgh" lloydspinsidemindspring.com wrote in message
. 3.70...
Someone here was a certified forklift repair tech. I've lost the
history.

I bought an old (1978) ClarkLift 2000lb machine to help moving
projects
around the shop. Got it for 3K delivered, and it runs well and is
dry
everywhere (!).

It has only one problem that someone else hasn't already bypassed,
removed, or re-engineered -- The dip tube in the fuel tank must
(probably) has a hole in it. It loses its prime after sitting for
as
little as 10 minutes. The tube outlet block/fitting appears to be
welded
to the tank, so no removing the tube to replace or repair it --
without
some fancy torch work INSIDE the body of the machine (before you say
it... NO! I won't G)

Thanks,
Lloyd

Is there a handy place to plumb in an outboard motor primer bulb?

jsw

"Jim Wilkins" fired this volley in news:jn4nt6$qhh$1
@dont-email.me:

Is there a handy place to plumb in an outboard motor primer bulb?


Hey! That's an idea! I had thought about a small plunger pump (say, up on
the dash), but the bulbs are cheap, and easy to replace.

NeeeexxxxT! G

Lloyd

On Mon, 23 Apr 2012 17:06:22 -0500, "Lloyd E. Sponenburgh"
lloydspinsidemindspring.com wrote:

Someone here was a certified forklift repair tech. I've lost the
history.

I bought an old (1978) ClarkLift 2000lb machine to help moving projects
around the shop. Got it for 3K delivered, and it runs well and is dry
everywhere (!).

It has only one problem that someone else hasn't already bypassed,
removed, or re-engineered -- The dip tube in the fuel tank must
(probably) has a hole in it. It loses its prime after sitting for as
little as 10 minutes. The tube outlet block/fitting appears to be welded
to the tank, so no removing the tube to replace or repair it -- without
some fancy torch work INSIDE the body of the machine (before you say
it... NO! I won't G)

It has an electric pump installed to replace the engine-driven one, and
the electric apparently can self-prime, but not fast enough to suit the
"start-and-go" mentality. So right now, I'm throwing an ounce of fuel
into the air cleaner intake to get it started. No biggy, but I don't
want to start removing stuff until next week, after I get some big pieces
moved.

SO... Is this tank welded in? Can it be removed, cleaned, replaced? If
not, I think the strategy would be to build a box inside the bustle, and
install a new (maybe smaller) tank, with the top of the draw tube about
level with the carb.

Thanks,
Lloyd
Drill a new hole in the tank and make a new "tube outlet block
fitting" that bolts to the tank with a new dip tube in it.

fired this volley in
news
Drill a new hole in the tank and make a new "tube outlet block
fitting" that bolts to the tank with a new dip tube in it.

Another idea... If I can get a drill to where it needs to be, that would
work.

Lloyd

On Mon, 23 Apr 2012 17:06:22 -0500, "Lloyd E. Sponenburgh"
lloydspinsidemindspring.com wrote:

Someone here was a certified forklift repair tech. I've lost the
history.

I bought an old (1978) ClarkLift 2000lb machine to help moving projects
around the shop. Got it for 3K delivered, and it runs well and is dry
everywhere (!).

It has only one problem that someone else hasn't already bypassed,
removed, or re-engineered -- The dip tube in the fuel tank must
(probably) has a hole in it. It loses its prime after sitting for as
little as 10 minutes. The tube outlet block/fitting appears to be welded
to the tank, so no removing the tube to replace or repair it -- without
some fancy torch work INSIDE the body of the machine (before you say
it... NO! I won't G)

Carburetors seldom "lose their prime", Lloyd. When they do, it's
usually a cracked float bowl, with fuel spilling all over the engine.
You'd probably notice that, especially after the fire. g


It has an electric pump installed to replace the engine-driven one, and
the electric apparently can self-prime, but not fast enough to suit the
"start-and-go" mentality. So right now, I'm throwing an ounce of fuel
into the air cleaner intake to get it started. No biggy, but I don't
want to start removing stuff until next week, after I get some big pieces
moved.

The ounce of fuel into the carb every time will wash the oil off the
cylinder walls and you'll need to rebuild much sooner. I recommend
stopping that practice today.


SO... Is this tank welded in? Can it be removed, cleaned, replaced? If
not, I think the strategy would be to build a box inside the bustle, and
install a new (maybe smaller) tank, with the top of the draw tube about
level with the carb.

Yeah, you could do that, but first look at the carb and/or how you're
starting it. Does it have an automatic or manual choke? Does it have
a foot throttle or lever? Perhaps it needs a quick pump (or two?)
prior to starting. Are you doing that now?

The Clark tech will know more. I'm just a retired auto mech.

--
That's the thing about needs. Sometimes, when you get them met,
you don't need them anymore. -- Michael Patrick King

On Mon, 23 Apr 2012 20:59:43 -0500, "Lloyd E. Sponenburgh"
lloydspinsidemindspring.com wrote:

Larry Jaques fired this volley in
news
Carburetors seldom "lose their prime", Lloyd. When they do, it's
usually a cracked float bowl, with fuel spilling all over the engine.
You'd probably notice that, especially after the fire. g



I didn't say the carb "lost it's prime"; I said the vertical suction tube
in the tank (which goes to the bottom, and comes out the top) "loses its
prime".

That usually leads to carb float bowl emptiness. Pardon my assumption.
But both mechanical and electric fuel pumps generally keep the float
bowl full, and there would be gas in the carb when you went to start
it ten minutes or more later. Your complaint has holes in it.


The ounce of fuel into the carb every time will wash the oil off the
cylinder walls and you'll need to rebuild much sooner. I recommend
stopping that practice today.

I'm not doing that. You didn't read my post, did you?

OK, so you said the air cleaner intake and I responded to the more
usual "dump it in the carb" move. My mistake.


I already know all of what you warned of and suggested and more. I have
already trouble-shot the problem to this stage. There is no accelerator
pump on this carb (never was), and it has a working manual choke.

Fine. Good luck with your forklift tech after your response here.


Thanks.

Yeahright.

--
That's the thing about needs. Sometimes, when you get them met,
you don't need them anymore. -- Michael Patrick King

Larry Jaques fired this volley in
:

But both mechanical and electric fuel pumps generally keep the float
bowl full, and there would be gas in the carb when you went to start
it ten minutes or more later. Your complaint has holes in it.

No my initial description had holes in it. It lights if it was running
OK when left alone. But just like my old Dayton genset, that updraft
carb takes a BIG swallow of gas on cranking, and what's in the bowl
doesn't last long enough to get the 'sputters' out.

I find if I wet-prime the filter before I crank it the first time, it
runs long enough to re-establish prime -- maybe a minute and a half. If
I don't, it dies in about 30 seconds, and must be primed anyway.

I admit that sounds like a low float settings, because I'd think what was
in the bowl should last longer than that.

Larry, like with a lot of cars, everything is up hill from the tank.

The last time the forklift guy was here on rcm, he disputed something I
said, and I agreed with him, and bowed to his expertice. But he wasn't
high-handed about his knowlege, and didn't assume I was stupid. He just
described the actual Hyster lift characteristics I mistook.

You _started_ by stating that what I've actually seen with my empty,
gasoline-free hose coming out of the tank is impossible, then went down-
hill from there.

How would you feel if someone told you, "Dummy, you have to put a
standard transmission in gear before the car will go up a hill", when you
told them it had a broken ring gear in the pumpkin?

Lloyd

"Lloyd E. Sponenburgh" lloydspinsidemindspring.com wrote in message
. 3.70...
fired this volley in
news
Drill a new hole in the tank and make a new "tube outlet block
fitting" that bolts to the tank with a new dip tube in it.

Another idea... If I can get a drill to where it needs to be, that
would
work.

Lloyd

Can you slide a piece of hobby-store telescoping brass tubing into the
original tube and solder it?

I recently modified two garden sprayers to replace the hose, valve and
nozzle with a kitchen sink spray hose by sliding in a larger outlet
tube with a compression -to- NPT fitting on the end. The original hose
and outlet fitting restrict flow too much with the spray hose simply
spliced on.

The smaller is now a back yard emergency fire extinguisher and
hand/eye washer, the larger is for taking showers with water heated in
a kettle on the wood stove when the power is out (otherwise another
fire extinguisher). The sink spray heads mark them as not for use with
chemicals.

One of the sprayers used a separate hollow bolt and nut for the
pressure-tight outlet fitting. The bolt had a tab extending radially
from the head to keep it from rotating. Perhaps you could weld an
extension handle to a hollowed bolt that's long enough to position it
in your new drilled hole from the filler opening.

The original cap nut outside compresses the rubber washer under it
enough to seal the new outlet tube.

jsw

"Jim Wilkins" fired this volley in news:jn64p6$vu7$1
@dont-email.me:

Can you slide a piece of hobby-store telescoping brass tubing into the
original tube and solder it?

Maybe not hard tubing, because it's an elbow at the tank -- goes in the
side at the very top, then down. But I _might_ be able to do the sewer
pipe trick, and line it with some flexible tubing.

Lloyd

"Lloyd E. Sponenburgh" wrote:

Larry Jaques fired this volley in
:

But both mechanical and electric fuel pumps generally keep the float
bowl full, and there would be gas in the carb when you went to start
it ten minutes or more later. Your complaint has holes in it.

No my initial description had holes in it. It lights if it was running
OK when left alone. But just like my old Dayton genset, that updraft
carb takes a BIG swallow of gas on cranking, and what's in the bowl
doesn't last long enough to get the 'sputters' out.

I find if I wet-prime the filter before I crank it the first time, it
runs long enough to re-establish prime -- maybe a minute and a half. If
I don't, it dies in about 30 seconds, and must be primed anyway.

I admit that sounds like a low float settings, because I'd think what was
in the bowl should last longer than that.

Larry, like with a lot of cars, everything is up hill from the tank.

The last time the forklift guy was here on rcm, he disputed something I
said, and I agreed with him, and bowed to his expertice. But he wasn't
high-handed about his knowlege, and didn't assume I was stupid. He just
described the actual Hyster lift characteristics I mistook.

You _started_ by stating that what I've actually seen with my empty,
gasoline-free hose coming out of the tank is impossible, then went down-
hill from there.

How would you feel if someone told you, "Dummy, you have to put a
standard transmission in gear before the car will go up a hill", when you
told them it had a broken ring gear in the pumpkin?

I don't know what that is supposed to mean, but I agree with
Larry. From the sketchy info you have supplied it is very
unlikely that the problem is the tube in the tank.

For one thing, you said it has an electric pump.
That pump should work whenever it has power. It
shouldn't need the engine to run for 1.5 minutes
for it to start working. If it can ever pump and
and fill the carb, it should be able to do that
before you even attempt to crank the engine.

-jim





Lloyd

jim fired this volley in
:

For one thing, you said it has an electric pump.
That pump should work whenever it has power.

It's also above the tank, and takes about that long to re-prime, once it
has sucked air.

Lloyd

"Lloyd E. Sponenburgh" wrote:

jim fired this volley in
:

For one thing, you said it has an electric pump.
That pump should work whenever it has power.

It's also above the tank, and takes about that long to re-prime, once it
has sucked air.

Does the engine start fine if you run the
pump for 1.5 minutes before attempting to
crank the engine?

-jim





Lloyd

"Lloyd E. Sponenburgh" lloydspinsidemindspring.com wrote in message
. 3.70...
"Jim Wilkins" fired this volley in
news:jn64p6$vu7$1
@dont-email.me:

Can you slide a piece of hobby-store telescoping brass tubing into
the
original tube and solder it?

Maybe not hard tubing, because it's an elbow at the tank -- goes in
the
side at the very top, then down. But I _might_ be able to do the
sewer
pipe trick, and line it with some flexible tubing.

Lloyd

Is it straight far enough to cut it and install a flare or compression
fitting, as I did on the garden sprayer?

jsw

On Tue, 24 Apr 2012 06:04:46 -0500, "Lloyd E. Sponenburgh"
lloydspinsidemindspring.com wrote:

Larry Jaques fired this volley in
:

But both mechanical and electric fuel pumps generally keep the float
bowl full, and there would be gas in the carb when you went to start
it ten minutes or more later. Your complaint has holes in it.

No my initial description had holes in it. It lights if it was running
OK when left alone. But just like my old Dayton genset, that updraft
carb takes a BIG swallow of gas on cranking, and what's in the bowl
doesn't last long enough to get the 'sputters' out.

I find if I wet-prime the filter before I crank it the first time, it
runs long enough to re-establish prime -- maybe a minute and a half. If
I don't, it dies in about 30 seconds, and must be primed anyway.

You might check your gas cap. Plugged caps can cause similar traits.


I admit that sounds like a low float settings, because I'd think what was
in the bowl should last longer than that.

Larry, like with a lot of cars, everything is up hill from the tank.

The last time the forklift guy was here on rcm, he disputed something I
said, and I agreed with him, and bowed to his expertice. But he wasn't
high-handed about his knowlege, and didn't assume I was stupid. He just
described the actual Hyster lift characteristics I mistook.

Well, I didn't mean to come across that way, and stated that the Clark
guy probably had more info than a mechanic. shrug


You _started_ by stating that what I've actually seen with my empty,
gasoline-free hose coming out of the tank is impossible, then went down-
hill from there.

No, I actually just shifted from the pickup tube to the carb.


How would you feel if someone told you, "Dummy, you have to put a
standard transmission in gear before the car will go up a hill", when you
told them it had a broken ring gear in the pumpkin?

g Point taken. But do you really feel that I was -that- pedantic?

--
Believe nothing.
No matter where you read it,
Or who said it,
Even if I have said it,
Unless it agrees with your own reason
And your own common sense.
-- Buddha

jim fired this volley in
:

Does the engine start fine if you run the
pump for 1.5 minutes before attempting to
crank the engine?


Yes

I tried it this morning at 42 degrees, and it required choking, but
started.

LLoyd

"Jim Wilkins" fired this volley in news:jn67ej$eur$1
@dont-email.me:

Is it straight far enough to cut it and install a flare or compression
fitting, as I did on the garden sprayer?

Don't know, all of it but the hose fitting is inside the tank. It is a
welded-in-place tank.

Lloyd